


Buggy Adventures

by gardenTerror (orphan_account)



Category: One Piece
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Fever, Impel Down, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Marineford Arc, Platonic Relationships, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Reflection, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-01-26 12:21:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21374071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/gardenTerror
Summary: Just some thing I decided to write because there is not enough buggy fanfics out there. There will be angst because i'm a hellspawn but also, i'll write some fluffy shit so don't worry. None of this is canon but there are canon events that are mentioned!The chapters might not be long but only because I'm so tired a lot of the time but I will try to write as much as I can.There might be smut in future chapters but i'm not sure yet.I'm using some of my headcanons for this so you have been warned!(On hiatus because of some sleep issues)
Relationships: Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks/Buggy, Slight Buggy/Alvida
Comments: 3
Kudos: 76





	1. Chapter 1

He never really thought that he would be over on this side of the red line again. After Roger had died, he had been reluctant to go back unless it was for something important, something like a mass amount of treasure, a trove of riches or something of the like and yet, here he is. Buggy wonders if maybe he should have come back sooner, it’s been over 10 years and he hasn’t seen anyone from the remainder of Roger’s crew, of course, he has seen things in the news but they quieted down after a while. He knows that his old crewmate, Shanks had become a yonko and even though it kind of pissed him off that he’s gone and gotten big, he can’t help but feel a sense of pride knowing that his old ‘friend’ is something special now.   
He feels something else, maybe Jealousy? Or perhaps it’s longing. He wants to convince himself that he doesn’t miss it, he doesn’t miss travelling these seas and beyond, that adventure-something calls to him. No matter how he tries to deny it, no matter how much he tries to ignore it.

He can’t believe he had gotten eaten by this stupid whale though. He was basically vibrating with rage, getting ready to attack the inside when he finally realized that his surroundings are a little bit different than what he expected. Is this all...painted on the inside of the whale’s stomach? “Well, do my eyes betray me?” Buggy turns his head at the voice and he is met with a long lasting glare, intimidating from the shadows and he recognizes that glare: he’s not sure if that makes it worse or not.  
“C-Crocus!” He stutters out his name and his eyes widen as the old man steps out to reveal himself.   
Of all the people he was bound to meet, the former doctor was not the first on his list.

It takes a moment for Buggy to say anything after that, staring in disbelief as the old man was still very much alive and kickin, probably just a tinge crazier than he was before judging from his attire. He’s basically in vacation attire inside a whale and let’s not forget to mention the fact that the inside is painted.   
He’s almost amazed if anything.

“Buggy...How much you’ve grown. I heard you were making a name for yourself in the East Blue but to think…” He trails off and his eyes narrow, another pause that leaves Buggy anticipating for the next words. “You would be here of all places. I’m glad you’re doing well.” He lets out a hearty laugh and it’s then that Buggy knows-he hasn’t changed a bit.

Deep inhale.

Buggy comes out from his ship and stands before the older man, hands crossed over his chest as he tries to appear just a bit tougher to the man: he’s not fooling anyone.  
“Of course, bet you weren’t expecting me, but I come in when one least expects it, i’m Flashy like that!” He does a bit of a pose but he feels self conscious under the other’s gaze, the expression on Crocus’ face saying it all. What makes it worse, is that he says it outloud. “You look ridiculous doing that.” Oh. He quickly moves his arms back and stands up straighter, not meeting the gaze.  
“Buggy! How long do you plan on taking, we need to go!” The Clown Captain turned to see some of his crewmates standing at the edge of their ship, watching as he casually converses with this stranger, or as casually as he could manage in this scenario.   
“Is-” He doesn’t even get to ask, Crocus is already pointing to the large door and he doesn’t know which he is concerned about: the fact that they are still inside the whale and not being digested or the fact that there is a large, metal door inside the whale’s stomach.

“Yea, we’re leaving.” He turned away from Crocus, wondering what more there could be to say to the man and barely 3 steps away from him, there is a hand on the top of his head, gently putting pressure on it. “Good luck.”   
Oh jeez, he bows his head slightly, tipping his hat to hide his face as he quickened his pace, trying to hide the flush that had risen to his cheeks.

Stupid old geezer. 

“Bye, see you, maybe. I’m sure you’ll hear about me somewhere, I do like to make flashy appearances after all!” Maybe he should actually find the time to visit the old man more casually and not just passing through but right now, he shouldn’t be keeping his crew waiting. 

Once he got to the ship once again, he told the crew to head towards the door, to get ready to row if they had to and soon they were on their way out. “Captain Buggy Sir, did you know that man? You two were talking for an awful long time.” The guy was a little bit intimidated when Buggy turned to him and glared, swallowing hard under the gaze before the Captain gave a slow nod. “I guess you could say that, but more importantly, we need to get the hell out of this whale! Full speed ahead!” Full speed ahead? How the hell is the door supposed to open if-oh, it’s opening. 

Thanks old man.

Buggy smiles to himself and goes to the front of his ship, ready to see the grandline once again.

Once they had gotten far enough from the whale, Buggy let out a sigh and leaned against the edge of the ship, careful not to allow himself to fall back to the point of falling overboard, but just enough to be comfortable. He would rather not have him embarrass himself by having one of his crew members come to his rescue, the last thing he would need is all of them thinking he’s weak for not being able to swim whether they know he has a devil fruit or not: they do.  
They would likely help him without thinking such things but even then, Buggy would rather not risk it.

“Oi, you have the logpose ready?”Well, it was technically already set but he had to explain to the morons, “We’re heading to Alabasta so for the most part, we just have to follow this flashily drawn map, done by none other than myself!” He had a map to Alabasta based off of memory and despite not being here for a while. Buggy hands the map over to the navigator and points to where they are: it’s a decently drawn map.

“Set course for Alabasta men!”

It took awhile to get to Alabasta the way they were going after having two stop for two days for a giant storm. It wasn’t the most convenient timing but it couldn’t be helped, the weather on the grandline is nearly unpredictable with how quick it could change.  
“Buggy, are we still going to be going after that Strawhat? I thought that’s what we were going for but now it seems like he’s more trouble than he’s worth.” 

Ah she finally comes out and says something. She leans back against a chair and looks up at the sky which was only now clearing from the most recent downpour. “We do not even know where they are headed, we do not know if they have gotten more crew members and believe it or not but I could be doing more important things than hanging around with you and your troupe of hooligans.” She scoffs and looks at Buggy with a raised eyebrow, waiting silently for the man to answer her but he made little to no effort. He actually ignores her.   
“We should be able to set sail again soon.”

He no longer had much interest in catching Strawhat but he’s not sure on how Alvida would react to something like that, he was wondering if he should bring it up with her at all but she seems to have beaten him to it. “Well, if you really think it’s too much trouble, than why are you still here?” He doesn’t really want her to leave, she would be a good edition to the crew and despite the fact that she can be a little bit on the bossy side, she wasn’t all that bad. He would rather deal with her than plenty of others, she manages to keep his men in line enough without overstepping her bounds as an allianced colleague.   
At his words, she scoffs and rolls her eyes, standing up and approaching him as she considers what she could do, where she could go if she did want to leave.  
She had her hands on the map and was examining it closely, trying to read some of the scrawled out words as she showed it to Buggy. “That’s the entrance to Alabasta, right? Nanohana?” Well, the unofficial entrance. There are a lot of places they could use to go into the country from but this is preferred since it just so happens to be a port town.  
“If I remember correctly, they sell perfume there. I’ve seen some of it being sold in the East Blue, it’s pretty nice. We should head there next.” Who knows, they might get lucky with the Strawhat. If there is no news, she will part ways with Buggy there. She is going to have to get herself a new crew at this point but most of the men on her old crew were nothing but useless savages that simply didn’t know their hand from their asses, so it was for the best this way.

“Buggy. Do you want me to leave?” The question caught him off guard but he was quick to respond, not thinking before he answered. “No! Well, no, not really but I can’t force someone to stay in my crew.” Well, he could but he couldn’t force Alvida to at all, she is a smart woman after all and slightly more intimidating than he is sometimes.   
Buggy finds himself looking away from her, looking out at the sea as they get further and further away from the shore of the island, heading to their original destination of Alabasta. “We’ll go to Jaya after Alabasta, I want to check something out…” The lady sighs and shakes her head, going back to her seat to relax and do whatever it is she normally does when Buggy isn’t talking to her.

He is getting the impression that this will be a long trip.


	2. Chapter 2

What a strange fellow that happened to come onto his ship.  
It was completely unexpected and though they had just gotten through Alabasta’s port town relatively quickly, that did not mean that they were staying for longer than a week as nice as that would have been; Alvida decided that there was more advantage to being with him on his ship as a co-captain rather than leaving so she got her perfume and came back much to his surprise.  
He honestly wasn’t expecting her to come back and though she complained about it, he couldn’t help but get the impression that she genuinely did want to stay there with him and his crew.  
It made his heart swell a little bit...but back to this guy!

“Say Ace, what is a Whitebeard pirate like yourself doing all the way over here?” He says this with a smile but he can’t help but panic albeit internally. His hands were already sweating and the back of his neck felt cold at the thought that maybe it was because he had done something. One would think that would be impossible, after all, he was working hard as to not make a big fuss or make himself widely known throughout the world. “Well, I'm looking for someone. You wouldn’t happen to know someone named Marshall D. Teach, would you?” Teach? The name sounds familiar for some reason but he’s not sure where he had heard it before, he could just be mistaking it for something else or connecting it with some other name he had heard. “No. Sorry Fire fi-Ace.” Should he just call him ‘Ace’ so casually? Normally people go by bounty posters but something about Ace felt familiar.  
“Have we met before?” He asks, tilting his head with his arms crossed over his chest, unable to figure out where he had seen his face. Surely it wasn’t his wanted poster, or maybe he saw it and forgot about it since it wasn’t important at the time.  
“I don’t think so, but hey this is a party and you’re not even drinking! Drink with me!” Buggy smirks and takes a seat next to Ace, grabbing himself some of the drink that was pushed towards him and just like that, he was having fun again.

He’ll remember where he’s seen Ace eventually.  
They laugh and drink, not missing the opportunity to throw a party.  
Ace plays around with Richie, getting the lion to jump through a ring of fire and then, after a bit of down time, he ended up leaving to go on with his search for Teach.  
Richie was sad to see his new friend go but Ace said that he would probably be back to hang out and drink with Buggy again, so he is holding him to that.

“Do you know of Captain John and his lost treasure hold? That’s what we should be looking for but first, we’re going to check out this Jaya place, head to Mocktown for some much needed restocking, get what we can while we can but we likely won’t get there for another few days so going along the course we’re on, we should make it there easily, and flashily of course!. “ He had been so deep in thought that he almost forgot to add a bit of flashiness to his words, determination to find this treasure has got his mind distracted.  
“Some sleep would probably do some good.” Alvida stood herself up and stretched, a few of the crew staring at her chest as her breasts stuck out more with the arch of her back, a loud crack coming from her spine before she rests in her natural posture and all the while, Buggy is glaring at his men for staring at her.  
Perhaps he’s being a bit too protective, he doesn’t even like Alvida in that sort of way but as a friend and crewmate of his, he wouldn’t want her to be disrespected may it be by words or just by their crooked thinking. He can’t deny though-Alvida has a very nice body.

Once everyone had gone to their cabins, Alvida and Buggy were the only ones left on deck, a blanket brought out for the sake of comfort and warmth but only Buggy used it. He wraps it tightly around his body and gazes off into the distance, only paying attention to the lady when she clears her throat. “So, your run in with Whitebeard that you mentioned before, your reaction, how did a pirate such as yourself end up meeting someone so powerful.” He’s not so sure if he should say much, if someone overhears and tells the wrong person then he could end up in big trouble.  
He does trust her, but does he trust her enough? 

He contemplates the scenarios that could happen if he tells her and none of them seem as bad as they could be so, he gestures for her to come close, careful not to touch her as he brings a hand up and whispers into her ear.  
Her eyes widen and when he finishes speaking, she pulls away and stares at him with bewilderment. “Why didn’t you just say anything before? You know how impressed your crew would be if you told them that!?” He hushes her and looks around as though anyone would walk out, as though anyone could hear or get what she is saying even though it was very quiet. “I…” He hesitates and slowly brings his hands into his lap. “I know that but I would rather lie low in that aspect, it would be one thing to be a pirate in my own name and doing things my way to make a flashy entrance into the world but it would be another thing if I was using his name to get somewhere in my life. Besides, I was just a cabin boy for the most part.” Well, that does count as part of the crew so he can’t exactly say he was ‘just’ a cabin boy when all the same, he was still there on that ship.

“Jeez. You make things so complicated, you know that?” She shakes her head and leans back, laying against the deck while tugging on the blanket for some warmth and when he offers it to her, she looks at him once more with confusion written on her face. “Aren’t we sharing?” Oh she wants to share. Oh god, he hasn’t shared a blanket with anyone since...it’s just been a while. He fiddles with the edge of the blanket, mumbling incoherent words to himself as he tries to fix it but Alvida just rolls her eyes at him and snatches the blanket completely, wrapping it around just herself. “Hmph. You’re taking too long, i’ll just take all of it.” He stares at her, stunned by the sudden change in attitude before growling quietly and standing up, going into the ship to sleep within his quarters. 

She can stay there for all he cares, at least she has the blanket though. He has more.


	3. Chapter 3

“That...moron.” Alvida slides the paper down and lets it rest on her lap, closing her eyes and bringing a hand up to her temples for a massage.  
She knows that Buggy can be a dumbass sometimes but this really takes the cake. She gets that he wanted to be the first to find the treasure, she understood that and although she insisted that he take some of his men with him, he denied it and set off on his own however, she didn’t think that he would actually be this dumb. She stands up, folding the newspaper as she heads towards some of the crewmembers who were for the most part, just loafing around. 

“Listen up everyone, we have some news!” How is she going to do this. They all look at her with smiles, waiting for her to say what she needs to and they are expecting their captain back but at this point… “I am going to tell you right now not to freak out, your dumbass captain managed to get himself caught by Marines and is being taken to Impel Down at this very moment.” There are a few gasps, someone cries out and she is pretty sure one of them fainted but she is hardly paying attention.  
In the past, she would have just abandoned ship and left these bozos to care for themselves but as she looked up at her comrades Jolly Roger, she knew that there was no way she could do that at this point. Where has her cruel touch gone? She is sure that Buggy had softened her up or, maybe she just cares for the crew.  
What a ridiculous notion.  
She’s disgusted with herself.

Lying might be the best option. Will they believe it? Well, they have no reason to doubt her, right?  
“I am, from this moment on, your new captain. We will stay under Buggy’s name for now and wait until he gets out, knowing that idiot, he probably already has some form of plan or at the very least, is thinking of ways to escape. For now, we are to be patient.”  
Though hesitant at first, the crew cheers and a few of them continue to cry, namely the ones that have been with Buggy the longest. 

She can’t hold them forever but at the very least, she knows that they can’t be left alone at the moment, they wouldn’t last by themselves. They need someone with wits to help them get by and even if it is for a bit longer than she wants, she will help them.  
She doesn’t know why she’s doing this anymore; what started as a simple quest to go after Strawhat Luffy turned into her joining with the Buggy pirates and now...Maybe it is true that she genuinely cares about Buggy’s wellbeing.

She sighs and glares at the paper, folded and resting on her chair and then she goes over to it and sits down, letting it fall to the ground as she leans back and looks at the overcast sky. She gets the feeling that they are going to be waiting a while. 

Meanwhile…

Buggy sits quietly in a holding cell, closing his eyes as he sits slumped against the wall, eyes barely able to stay open as his limbs feel weak, his mind growing tired from the cuffs around his wrists and ankles. They had gone through more effort than he was expecting and he’s not sure how he is going to be able to get out. He is fully capable at picking locks but with him being as weak as he is, he needs to figure out how to do that. He knows one thing for sure, it’s that he is going to have to be quick and careful about it and there is no way that he will be able to do it while on this boat.

Buggy glances up as he sees a guard walked into the room carrying a tray with some bread on it, food. “Oh i-is that for me?” He was almost happy until the metal tray had been thrown on the ground in the cell, the bread falling on the floor and bouncing just a little ways away from him. He frowns and glares up at the Marine who’s just smirking at him, seeming taller and more intimidating from Buggy’s point of view. “Asshole…” The Marine turns on his heels, muttering ‘enjoy your meal’ and closes the door behind him.

He reaches a hand out and makes a grab for the bread and despite the dirt, he eats it anyways, knowing that it won’t do him good to starve.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter is going to have some torture implications and blood in it so if that would rather be skipped than go ahead to the next chapter!

Time feels like it goes by much slower down here.

He's not even sure how long he has been stuck in this place but all he knows is that he wants to get out as quickly as possible. He can barely sleep a full 2 hours without someone screaming in agony, without someone calling for help or sobs being heard all the way from the deepest most deadly parts of the prison and it makes him sick. There is a constant smell of copper intruding his senses, something he thought he was used to and yet, he has been proven wrong by the way his stomach twisted and churned, the sight of blood on the guards clothing.  
The only good thing about this situation is that his cuffs while in this prison were not made of seastone which is a grave mistake on their part. Did they really not know he had devil fruit powers? Maybe the seastone cuffs on the ship were what they had so they couldn't use normal cuffs, or they just didn't care, that stuff is expensive as far as he knows but then again, he doesn't exactly use the stuff.  
All Buggy had to do at this point was wait for the right situation, the right chance to escape but as the hours went on, meal after meal, that was becoming harder to do. He wasn't just able to bust out of here with everyone on their full guard, there has to be a distraction of some sort.

He stared across from him, staring at someone in the cell who was chained up completely and they just stared back at him with dead eyes. He wasn't sure if he should say anything, no, he shouldn't say anything at all because he knows what happens when prisoners get too rowdy. They get punished and not at all in a justified way; he has seen prisoners walked down the pathway covered in blood, cuts, bullet holes, whip marks, burns and much more. He shakes his head and looks away, staring hard at the ground by his feet as he focuses on something else, trying to get his mind to stop playing torture advertisements in a really cheesy salesman voice.  
Despite not being on one of the worst levels, it was still pretty bad here and just when he thought it couldn't get worse, one of the guards come in with a rather crooked smile. "Small fry are the best, no one misses them, no one needs them to live...no one will care if they go missing or rot in here."  
He enters the cell and stands before Buggy, putting on a new set of cuffs made from seastone around his wrists before dragging him out to which he very loudly tries to get away from. He can't use his powers like this, another bad timing with the wrong cuffs being placed on him.

If he thought the seastone made things hard, it wasn't until he was thrown into a room that he knew he was screwed. He was face to face now with one of the guards and he it was in that moment that he regretted not using his powers to escape sooner. "Let me go! Hey-I'll bite you!" A hand grabs his face and squeezes his cheeks hard, the smell of stale crackers and coffee make him tear up from how disgusted he is and he tries to turn his head. "Oh yes, this one will be fun..."

He opened his eyes as his cheek pressed against the cold, stone floor. His body ached, his muscles tense and blood soaked through his clothes. He hardly remembers what happened, not at first. He knows that the man pulled out a whip and then had his fun with a knife. He's almost sure he was burned a few times on his chest and shoulders but he's unable to check, isn't even able to move from the pain he's in but he still tries: a soft groan escapes his lips as he shakily gets onto his knees, plenty of bruises already formed on his skin from all the grabbing and damage that didn't tear the flesh.  
His makeup is now completely smeared against his face, almost all off and his lip is split. He is sure that his head was hit due to the harsh pounding and the dull ache in the back of it, almost making him light headed.   
Slowly, Buggy raised a hand and touched his already tangled hair, hands trying to steady themselves through the pain as he brushes the knots out with his fingers, wincing at the motions and how much strength it was taking him.

The seastone had once again been removed but even so, his wounds and the strength he had to keep while getting tortured was too much for him. He let his hand fall away from his hair and into his lap, closing his eyes once again as he tries to ignore the ringing in his ears, slowly laying himself back against the cold floor. Maybe he will feel just a little bit better with some sleep, sleep helps injuries heal after all-or was it sickness...Both. Both is good. He needs sleep for both so either way, he is going to try and sleep, try to tune out the yelling, the screaming and the sobbing.

Still unsure of how long he was there, how many days and nights have gone by without his knowing and as the guards started yelling from a commotion in the other levels, he knew it was time to make his escape.   
Time to leave this place.  
Buggy splits himself apart and gasps at the pain from the movement but he still manages to slip out of the cuffs and get between the bars before putting himself back together and then before he knew it, he was running for his life, heading to his freedom. Away from this awful place, running beside-

... "STRAWHAT!?"


	5. Chapter 5

Everything sounded muffled after Shanks had gotten to the battlefield. Everyone was yelling or running after straw hat got away, ready to continue fighting and then just like that, it stopped. He did as asked and returned the straw hat to Luffy but after yelling at Shanks after that obvious lie he spouted, he is exhausted.  
Buggy tried to keep himself from attention, hiding slightly as his men seemed to retreat slightly, watching as Ace and Whitebeard's bodies were covered in a cloth.  
No one was fighting anymore and thank god for that because his body felt weak compared to how he was earlier: his adrenaline had run out.

He went from Fight to Frozen, and now he was too tired to move. His hands trembled and his body is sore, wounds reopened from his torture in imprisonment and his heart felt like it was going a mile a minute.  
Things feel like they are getting slightly harder to hear and his eyesight becomes blurry the more the adrenaline wears down and then he crumbles to his knees.

Someone is calling his name but he barely recognizes it.

Someone touches his shoulder but he flinched away and shudders from the contact. He pulls away only to feel arms wrap around him and pick him up off the ground, not letting go even after he struggles as much as he can. "L-Let go!" There is panic in his voice that he didn't expect to hear, his breath hitched as he is taken out of the battle field. He doesn't know who has picked him up at this point but he doesn't care, he doesn't want to be touched by a stranger either way. 

His chest felt heavy as he tried to push away but the arm around him wasn't letting up. There is some more yelling and someone else comes over but he doesn't recognize them: everything is blurry through his tears.

Tears? Why is he crying?

It hurts to breathe.

It hurts to move.

"-ggy, Buggy! I need you to focus." He feels a hand press against his neck, making him gasp at the sudden cold against his warm skin. He shudders and tries to curl up, heart beating fast as felt through the fingers and then he's pulled against a warm body.  
"Get someone to look at him, he's bleeding-" Who's bleeding? Surely not him. The great buggy bleeding? He didn't think anyone would notice but as he focuses on the voice giving the commands, there is a dull ache through his shoulder that he hadn't noticed before.

"Buggy, hey." A thumb presses against his cheek and brushes away some of the tears as he takes deep, shuddering breaths. Buggy's shirt is pulled up as he is pulled to press chest to chest with the oddly familiar voice. "Try to focus on me." Cold hands touch his back while a hand grabs at his wrist and slowly brings it to rest on this other person's chest.

A steady heart.

Slow breathing.

Deep voice.

Red...

"These are whip marks, Captain." Who's the Captain here? Buggy is also a Captain but he gets the feeling that he isn't the one being talked to right now. He tries to keep his focus on whoever was trying to help him make sense of the real world.

"Just like that..." 

Something much colder than the hands touch his skin, his wounds, and it burned for a few short seconds before slowly fading into a pleasantly numb feeling.  
"Buggy, do you know where you are?" What a strange question, he's obviously at Marineford, that's where he has been, but it's been weirdly quiet. There is no more yelling or gunfire and there is no more pushing or fast paced movements.  
Rocking...

"...um..." It feels like...not solid ground. "A...ship?" There is no mistaking the subtle rocking of a boat on water. He went to say more but a hand went through his hair which he barely registered had been undone. "That's right." Dull nails gently scratch at his scalp, brushing the tangled locks back.

It was easier to breathe now, his body left feeling overheated and aching while other parts were slightly numb. "Do you know who I am now?" Red. He slowly tilts his head up and sees the concerned eyes of his former crewmate staring down at him. "Shanks..." his voice almost sounds hoarse compared to before.

"I've put on bandages for most of the open wounds, I'm going to go check on some of the others." Others? Buggy didn't even notice that someone else was there tending to his wounds but now that he noticed, he is internally grateful.  
The doctor leaves and then it is just the former cabin boys left alone with each other.

"I haven't seen you have a panic attack like that for a while." Shanks says this quietly, adjusting his position so he was beside him, pulling the clown just a bit into his side and let Buggy do the rest of the work with leaning against him-Buggy didn't hesitate.

"I'm fine." He says this and both of them know it isn't true. It came out of no where and though everything was numb at the beginning, he was feeling a lot now. He thinks it would be better to dissociate at this point, already doing so but it's the hand in his hair that tether him to reality.

"My head hurts..." he mutters against Shank's side, closing his eyes as the other chuckles in response. "I wouldn't doubt it."

Shank's came at a good time.  
He can't imagine what would happen if the war wasn't stopped when it was.

"You're going to stay here for a bit." He normally would be reluctant, would protest but right now all he could think about was how much he wanted to stay with Shanks. How much he didn't want to leave the gentle touches or the familiar voice, the person who knows him the best even after being away from each other for so long.

"Okay..." his own voice seems to be getting quieter and quieter and when he's laid down in the bed of...wherever he happens to be, his eyes grow heavy and he can hardly fight the pain.  
Exhaustion has taken over and he passes out.


	6. Chapter 6

Buggy didn't properly wake up for a while: his skin was too hot and his body was still sore. His head hurt every time he tried to open his eyes so the better option was to keep them closed. He felt rushes of hot and cold, sweat falling from his skin onto the sheets below and he felt like he was sinking into a pit of tar.  
Even in his sleep, there was always anxiety pressed at the back of his mind, always his nerves on edge, waiting for the slightest thing to happen. His heart felt like it was going a mile a minute and still he wouldn't open his eyes.

And then he did.

Buggy opened his eyes and everything was far too bright, but someone was there so he tried to keep them open. His mind felt hazy and his sight was slightly blurred but he is comfortable. More than he has been in a while. "Hello...?" He questions the figure and they turn around, seemingly surprised. "You're awake...one moment, I need to go get the Captain!" The figure leaves Buggy on his own and then returns within a few short moments, quickly checking his wounds and then he temperature.  
"Buggy, it's Shanks." Shanks? He brings his hands to his eyes, intending to wipe away the sleep so that he can see better, expecting to smear makeup as he did so but when he pulls his hands away, they're clean. "Shanks...what are you doing here?" He can barely remember what had happened prior, after they had stopped fighting, everything was kind of a blur. 

"You were out for a while, you're on my ship and you were pretty injured. You've been in and out with a fever for a few days." Shanks' usual cheerful tone was completely overcast with seriousness, a tone that the Clown was not used to hearing from the other man.  
"Oh. I feel better already-" he says, his voice trying for being more energetic but instead, it comes out hoarse and kind of cracked. "Someone as flashy as me can't be held down by sickness!" He regrets saying that, now his throat feels raw.

He gets Shanks to laugh though, something he is more used to hearing from him.

"You're probably hungry, we can get you some water too." Buggy nods and as much as he hates being at Shanks' in such a vulnerable position, he is thankful that it was him and not someone else that had come to his rescue.  
"Mm..." he sighs and closes his eyes, knowing that he has eyes boring into him, examining him as though waiting for something bad to happen, to jump in and assist of needed. "Soup.." his stomach is turning in ways that make him think that anything else would be a bad idea.

"Soup it is! I'll be back!" Shanks grins at him and exits out of the sick bay, leaving him with the doctor. "Sonim going to ask you a few questions, I need you to answer me honestly-"

He would rather fall back asleep but he does this anyways, answering questions about his health and soon after, food is brought to him.

It's been a while since he ate good food.


	7. Chapter 7

He woke up properly after a few good days of rest, Shanks and his ship's doctor doing their best to keep him down rather than let him run off, that being said, they didn't exactly have to put much effort into it. Even though Buggy would love nothing more than to get back to his crew, he also knows that he is more safe than not while on Shank's ship. He is grateful that he is getting a ride back to the first half of the Grandline in order to meet with his crew, that is, if they are still there: he doesn't want to doubt them but the last time he left for a long period of time, a literal lion became the Captain. He didn't mind. Richie is a pretty good leader, even if he's an animal.

Buggy had been staring out at sea, lost in thought as they made a steady trek to their destination, feeling well for the first time in days with his wounds healed for the most part. He still has a considerable amount of bandages around him but they are soon to be removed. A few bandages won't keep someone as flashy as him down, especially when he has the map to a very good lot of treasure in his hands! He still can't believe that Strawhat had actually given it to him and he is thankful, not thankful enough to do anything else for the brat, but thankful. He certainly won't be getting himself involved into any more wars.  
Last time was an accident, he wanted nothing to do with it, next time? There will not be a next time for he will be filthy rich and bathing in gold every night- "AH!" He is shocked out of his thoughts, turning around with a speed that would put light to shame. "What the hell was that for!?" Buggy yelled, face to face now with Shanks who was smiling despite how rude his guest is being. It's expected. He's used to Buggy's yelling, the way that his voice would occasionally crack-it's amusing.

"Do what? You aren't thinking of jumping are you? Am I that bad that you want to jump overboard?" There is a lightness to his tone that made it clear that he was only joking, which Buggy returns with a pout and a glare, tightly gripping onto the arm piece. He would rather a repeat like what happened the last time he found a big treasure to happen and he really would do the same as well: jump to get it. He never managed to get the original map that Shanks stole from his grasp but this time is different, this time he has a firm grasp. "As if. Waste my life on someone as harmless as you? Who do you think I am? I am the great Buggy of course, now stop smirking and bow down to my flashiness!" He turns himself around and spreads his arms out in a pose that no one pays attention to. He is disappointed at the lack of reaction, freezing in place for a moment as not even Shanks comments on it, completely ignoring it.   
Buggy basically vibrates with rage at being ignored, his hands trembling before he just sighs and puts them down, looking back towards the water.

"Whatever, I don't expect you to react to greatness even if it were waving around in your face covered in bright red." He seems to puff out his cheeks and grumble, it seemed childish but he really does like attention. He likes attention when it isn't from an enemy, or maybe he just likes it when Shanks himself gives him attention. It's been a long time since he's had the other man's attention, something he will never admit that he missed. "I see, well, when you are done pouting, we need to have a chat in my quarters. We do need to catch up after all. I bought some good alcohol and it would be a shame for it to go to waste."   
Buggy narrows his eyes at the other man, the first thing crossing his mind being 'alcoholic' but he holds the words back from leaving his tongue, barely biting it back. "Free alcohol? You didn't lace it with your stupidity or something, did you?" He knows that Shanks isn't stupid, but the old jesting is familiar and even though he acknowledges that he isn't stupid, he will still act like he is. Try to get a negative reaction out of him. 

It never works.

"Meet me in my rooms after supper, I'll be waiting for you!" He gives Buggy a wave and a wide grin, turning himself around to go find his First mate who wasn't too far off, in fact, it seemed as though he was watching their interaction. Was he watching them? Kind of creepy but who is he to judge the guy? He won't for now since he knows that as a first mate, it's important to watch the captains back.   
Buggy shrugs off the lingering look he got and stared back out at the sea before returning to the infirmary so that his bandages could be changed. He had almost forgot and he probably actually did but he will pretend he didn't and say it was almost.   
By the time he gets to the infirmary, he is only 20 minutes late compared to when the doctor wanted him to come but instead of arguing his reasons, Buggy takes a seat and lets the man do his work in peace, waiting patiently with only limited moving around to the stranger's touch before it was gone and he was sent on his way.

Supper goes by slowly as everyone talks and laughs with each other. Even with what happened, they always end up smiling. They have been since he's been here and while he knows that it isn't his presence that caused the commotion, it's still nice to see. It reminds him of his own crew and how much they liked to party and with Shanks, of course there's a party. They probably party all the time, even if things are looking grim.   
There's not much going on right now but the fact that a few of the crewmates are a little worse for wear, in bandages and bruised up, it means that something happened the last few weeks, maybe even the last few days. Buggy didn't notice much happening but it makes him think on how little he has actually been paying attention.  
His mind has been everywhere while he has physically been avoiding people so, after a moment of slight hesitation, he goes to sit with his new crewmate, 'Mr. 3' who was borderline drunk.   
When he had stood up, none of the prisoners that had escaped with him noticed, it was only when he approached him that they noticed and when he came into full view, they all seemed even more jovial. They were saying things like 'finally' and 'long time no see' as though he had been away from them for a while.  
They were so happy that he had decided to join them that it makes him take a step back.

Was Buggy really that disconnected after what happened that he had started to avoid people? Now that he thinks about it, he noticed that he was keeping more to himself than he normally does and that worries him. It wasn't something he intentionally did, it rarely happened but if this ends up happening more, what does that say about him? It really makes him think about how he is going to be for now on.  
Maybe he's changed more than he thought, maybe it's just his imagination running wild.   
If he is changed, will his crew members still follow him? Will they still respect him? What if they think that he's being too different and even though they spent so much time together, they decide to leave him...

Maybe they like Alvida more as their captain. Should he even bother going back to them with her in charge? She has her head properly on her shoulders after all, what would be the point in going back while someone else is taking control? She probably won't give up being a proper captain anymore...

"I-" There is a clearing of someone's voice and a hand on his shoulder that shocks him out of his thoughts, making him squeak. The hand, the way it holds firmly against his shoulder with the faint red in the corner of his eyes. "Hey lads, I need to borrow Buggy. He promised to have a drink with me. Here here! Have some more of this, it's good!" To distract the other pirates, he tosses them a tray of food which they immediately dig into.  
Buggy is about to say something but an arm wraps around his waist, taking him off guard as he's pulled towards the cabins.  
He doesn't say anything, his voice is caught in his throat but before he knows it, he is seated in a comfortable couch with a glass of whatever alcohol Shanks had picked up was shoved into his hands. "Drink it! You look like you need to relax!" If the other Captain knew what he was thinking, he didn't show it,  
He looked drunk already and now they are just feeding fuel to the fire. He doesn't care that Shanks is drunk, in fact, Buggy is almost desperate to join him so he does drink. Drink? No. He chugs the thing and then grabs the bottle and faster than expected, more than half of what was left of it is going down his throat with only a little bit dripping down his chin. He puts it down and then leans back with a sigh. "So, red-hair, what do you want to talk about?" He avoids stuttering somehow as he lets the alcohol settle into his system, waiting for the other to start the conversation.

It goes a little something like this: At first, the conversation was like 'how are you doing' and 'what do you plan on doing when you get back to you crew?' and then it takes a swan dive on a subject he didn't really feel interested in hearing so soon and that would be, Monkey D. Luffy. It wasn't much but it sure was enough to leave Buggy slightly annoyed.   
A few more bottles of alcohol are brought out, one of them catching his eye in a way that made him grab it and start in on it immediately. Kraken is some hard stuff and it will be enough to get him past his tipsy state into drunk, but he only drinks a little bit before setting it down. "Can we talk about something away from your brat and talk about, oh I don't know, something interesting?"   
What is there to talk about? His mind is blanking and he can't tell if it's because of all the alcohol or the fact that he just can't think of anything to talk about.  
He always has things to talk about.

"I missed you, you know?" Shank's voice replaces the silence, soft and meaningful, a smile rather than a smirk on his place. He wasn't prepared for the sentimental tone but of course since it's Shanks, the man is going to bring something up. "Remember how us and the Minks would goof off on Roger's ship all the time? That was fun, it was interesting to say the least. I wasn't expecting them to switch so suddenly but it was great. I miss them too, they were fun and I bet that if we went to Zou, we'd find them." There is a brief pause as Shanks takes in another swig of his drink; Buggy remembers the minks well. They were best friends and Buggy had a lot of admiration for Oden. He would have been happy to have helped the man in some way to open up his country but now, Kaido has taken over and he has no clue what has become of the place. "Yea, we probably would..." He almost wants to ask if they can make a pit stop since they happen to be in the New World anyways but something stops him.   
What if they don't remember him? Sure they would remember Shanks, he's kind of a big deal, but what about Buggy the Clown? Cabin boy Buggy? Would they even recognize the name after all this time?

"You need to stop thinking so much you know? You look like someone just kicked a puppy." The man's words were now slurred while Buggy himself was feeling quite sluggish at this point. He just crosses his arms and acts like he didn't hear him. Pretending that the other had not pointed out that he wasn't thinking of very good things and then-  
"Oi..." He has the Red head on his lap, head rested on thighs as he curls his body up in an attempt to get comfortable. "Lay down, cuddle with me. Buuuggggyyyyy, please?" Did he think that the face he was making was cute? Buggy scoffs but finds himself laying down underneath the man as the position is switched so that Shanks was laying pressed on top of him while Buggy had no choice but to wrap his arms around him.   
"You're heavy..." He mutters, his hair trapped under him and this situation makes moving impossible. If he tries to move, it will hurt.  
He's not down for that. His only option? Staying still.  
Is it the best option?  
Absolutely.

He passed right out, not waiting for anything else to happen.

He relaxes.


End file.
